McClowry family bonds over MSU-OSU football game

Officials ruled that Ohio State fullback Champ Henson (38) failed to break the plane of the goal line on this plunge over right tackle in the final seconds of the 1974 16-13 loss at MSU.
(Photo:
COLUMBUS DISPATCH
)

EAST LANSING – It was just like 40 years ago. The numbers 53 and 49 on the back of the green jerseys, once again side by side on the Spartan Stadium surface, soaking it all in.

Michigan State. Ohio State. Another electric atmosphere. And the tight-knit McClowry clan stood right there in the middle of the action.

Pat McClowry and his son, Christopher, walked the field with Terry McClowry Jr. His father Terry, Pat's twin, died last year. The brothers were being honored Saturday honored as part of the MSU team that upset then-No. 1 Ohio State 16-13 on Nov. 9, 1974.

"It's been a bonding experience," Terry McClowry Jr. said before the game. "And it'll be special to be out there for the 40th anniversary of them beating Ohio State."

The twin McClowry brothers, MSU linebackers from 1972-74, played pivotal roles in stopping the Buckeyes that day 40 years ago, with Terry making a game-high 17 tackles and Pat registering 11 stops. Terry nearly had an interception on Ohio State's final drive, and Pat McClowry made the initial hit on Harold "Champ" Henson in the game's controversial final seconds.

To this day, Pat McClowry says one of his favorite memories with his brother was when they ran up to the ABC cameras and announced their names before that game.

"My twin brother was a great, great football player," Pat said of Terry, who was drafted by the New York Giants but did not play in the NFL because of a knee injury. "He was the greatest player you ever saw."

Terry McClowry, who owned a sales business in Dearborn, died at 60 after a brief illness in their hometown. Pat, who lives in Connecticut and is a retired vice president from Hertz, said he bought tickets a few weeks ago to take his son and nephew for the anniversary.

"I just felt like I was gonna have to be someplace," Pat said, "I might as well be there after 40 years."

Football has played a pivotal role in their family.

Their elder brother, Bob, also played at MSU from 1970-72. Another older brother, Jim, played at Holy Cross. All of them played at Dearborn's Sacred Heart High.

Terry Jr. played at Dearborn Divine Child and was recruited to MSU as a preferred walk-on before going on to Milford Academy in Connecticut. He moved in with his Uncle Pat and his family, becoming close with his cousin Christopher.

"It was great. He got to see a lot of my college football career out in Connecticut, and I lived with them for a short time," said Terry Jr., who will turn 34 on Tuesday and still lives in Connecticut near his uncle. "It was a special thing to be able to reunite with family over football."

At Milford, Randy Edsall saw Terry Jr. and offered him a scholarship to UConn during the school's transition to Division I-A. His offensive coordinator there was Dave Warner, who holds the same position now at MSU.

Christopher, who turned 30 last month, eventually went on to play for Yale and now lives in Chicago, along with a number of his cousins who moved there from Michigan. He made the drive in Saturday for the game to meet up with his dad, who flew in from Connecticut on Friday, and his cousin.

Even though he grew up in Connecticut, Christopher was an MSU fan from birth. He and his father went to the Spartans' two Big Ten Championship Games, watching them beat the Buckeyes last year, then made a family pilgrimage to the Rose Bowl to watch the win over Stanford.

"It was very emotional. Everyone was crying after the game," Christopher said. "It was just so special."

In Indianapolis last December, Christopher wore his dad's old, holey jersey and Pat wore a new one his wife bought for him. When they sat down, a few rows in front of them was someone wearing a green 49 shirt – his brother's number. They both choked up.

"Everything since then has been more emotional," Christopher said. "For my dad especially. … My dad and his brother were always very close. They had some of the greatest conversations I've ever heard."

Saturday, Christopher again wore Pat's No. 53, his dad next to him. Terry Jr. sported No. 49, his father there in spirit one more time. The miles and years melted away.

"To be quite honest," Terry McClowry Jr. said, "Michigan State football the last few years has played a huge part in bringing our family back together and spending time together."